One of the legends of California punk’s first wave has been diagnosed with throat cancer, and has appealed for crowdfunding to help cover his medical bills.

Dez Cadena, 54, joined Black Flag in 1980 as singer, before switching to guitar when Henry Rollins joined the band. He played on the group’s landmark hardcore album Damaged before leaving the group. He has also played with Redd Kross, DC3 and Misfits, among others.

Cadena is seeking $35,000 in donations through his GoFundMe page. The site says: “Dez has just finished debilitating radiation treatments, and is confident he will return to active performance again within a year. So Dez has had to take a long break from touring and recording and he had no other income to pay for the quite expensive treatments and doctor’s bills.

“We ask you today to donate funds to help Dez’s cause, as this friendly man has given so much to the music community, and he is literally a living punk rock legend, having played on some of the classic records of the genre, and remains one of the most beloved members of the scene.”

In recent years he has been performing with FLAG, the group made up of former members of Black Flag and the Descendents.